Published: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 10:31 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 10:31 a.m.

Rick Garey, 56, was vacationing on the barrier island with his family when he apparently contracted an infection of the potentially deadly flesh-eating bacteria vibrio vulnificus, officials said.

The fast-moving infection set in quickly and, within 48 hours of sustaining the cut, doctors were considering amputating his foot.

If you would like to see a photo of the injury go to:

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130723/MULTIMEDIA/130729901

or http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20130723/MULTIMEDIA/130729901

Warning! This is graphic content. Please view at your own risk.

Garey is recovering, but he said his brush with the deadly infection has made him want to raise awareness about vibro to other sportsmen and beachgoers in the state.

“We're trying to get people to understand that if you're going to go out there, you need to be careful. If you've got a scratch, clean it up. If you're going fishing, bring a kit so you can clean up any injuries,” Garey said. “I'm on the road to recovery, but I'm hoping if people read this, they'll take precaution.”

Dr. Mary Eschete, a board certified infectious diseases doctor with Terrebonne General Medical Center, said most people associate the bacterial infection with eating raw oysters, but it is carried in salty and brackish water.

Most cases result when the bacteria infect minor injuries, like cuts or wounds. Children, the elderly or people with weakened immune systems have a greater risk of contracting serious infections or complications, but it can happen to anyone, Eschete said.

Warning issued in June

State officials issued a warning last month to swimmers and sportsmen about the bacteria after an unidentified Terrebonne Parish man died of an infection caused by Vibrio vulnificus.

Garey believes he contracted the infection while climbing the rocks at Grand Isle. He slipped and cut his knee and scraped his ankle on a patch of barnacles.

He said he originally thought he had sprained or fractured his ankle. But the scrape had actually allowed the vibrio bacteria to enter his body.

“Once it was in, that was it,” he said.

Garey said the next day his ankle began to bother him. It looked like “a sprain gone bad” and was beginning to turn purple.

Two days after cutting his ankle, Garey went to the emergency room at Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Galliano.

Hospital staff X-rayed his foot and prescribed pain killers and antibiotics to prevent his wounds from getting infected. They suggested he see a specialist when he returned home from his vacation.

Garey went back to the camp on Grand Isle, but his health continued to deteriorate throughout the day.

“By noon I wasn't feeling good. I thought it was something I ate,” he said. “But by that evening I was sweating like someone had turned a hose on me,” he said.

The family called 911, fearing Garey was having a heart attack. He was actually in septic shock from the bacterial infection, a condition that can cause organ failure and death, he said.

Garey remained conscious during the ambulance ride, but Lady of the Sea hospital staff couldn't detect a blood pressure or pulse when he arrived.

'Within two heartbeats of dying'

“When they finally got me stabilized, I was within two heartbeats of dying,” Garey said.

Paramedics gave him a shot to stabilize him and transported him to Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma where he was treated by Eschete. Eschete recognized the infection as vibrio vulnificus.

“His culture was not positive” because he'd been previously treated with antibiotics, Eschete said. “But it looked and acted very much like vibrio.”

Eschete said that vibrio is seen in hospitals across south Louisiana, so doctors are usually trained to spot the infection.

Vibrio is a rapidly developing infection and can happen over just 12 hours, Eschete said. The bacteria begins releasing toxins that make your blood pressure fall and eat away at tissue around the wound site, which is why vibrio is known as a flesh-eating bacteria.

Garey said doctors discussed amputating his foot, but the infection didn't get past the covering on top of the muscle tissue.

Surgeons were able to save his foot, something that Garey was especially thankful of because he runs Ascension Soccer Academy in Gonzales.

Garey's infection resulted in a two-week hospital stay, including three days in critical care, surgeries and multiple visits to a hyperbaric chamber to help heal his wounds.

But he was lucky. As many as 25 percent of people whose wounds become infected with vibrio die from it.

Precaution urged

Garey said he hopes those who read about his experience will take precautions. It could be as simple as checking their children for scrapes and wounds after returning from the beach, keeping hand sanitizer in your boat or using gloves to handle fish.

To prevent infections from vibrio vulnificus or other bacteria carried in natural waterways, be sure to wash wounds with copious amounts of soap and water, Eschete said.

And if you note redness, pain and swelling, don't wait. Go see your doctor or head to the emergency room or urgent care clinic, even if it's at night or on the weekend.

Symptoms to look out for include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever.

Garey said the key is to seek help when you know something's not right.

“The doctors said what probably saved my life was that I didn't play macho man,” he said. “They said, 'You knew something was wrong and you got to the hospital.' This bacteria has been on planet Earth for a million years. You can save your limb and your life.”

<p>A barnacle scrape on Grand Isle's jetties triggered a life-threatening bacterial infection that nearly killed a Gonzales man. </p><p>Rick Garey, 56, was vacationing on the barrier island with his family when he apparently contracted an infection of the potentially deadly flesh-eating bacteria vibrio vulnificus, officials said. </p><p>The fast-moving infection set in quickly and, within 48 hours of sustaining the cut, doctors were considering amputating his foot. </p><p><hr></p><p>If you would like to see a photo of the injury go to:</p><p>http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20130723/MULTIMEDIA/130729901</p><p>or http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20130723/MULTIMEDIA/130729901</p><p>Warning! This is graphic content. Please view at your own risk.</p><p><hr></p><p>Garey is recovering, but he said his brush with the deadly infection has made him want to raise awareness about vibro to other sportsmen and beachgoers in the state.</p><p>“We're trying to get people to understand that if you're going to go out there, you need to be careful. If you've got a scratch, clean it up. If you're going fishing, bring a kit so you can clean up any injuries,” Garey said. “I'm on the road to recovery, but I'm hoping if people read this, they'll take precaution.”</p><p>Dr. Mary Eschete, a board certified infectious diseases doctor with Terrebonne General Medical Center, said most people associate the bacterial infection with eating raw oysters, but it is carried in salty and brackish water. </p><p>Most cases result when the bacteria infect minor injuries, like cuts or wounds. Children, the elderly or people with weakened immune systems have a greater risk of contracting serious infections or complications, but it can happen to anyone, Eschete said.</p><h3>Warning issued in June</h3>
<p>State officials issued a warning last month to swimmers and sportsmen about the bacteria after an unidentified Terrebonne Parish man died of an infection caused by Vibrio vulnificus. </p><p>Garey believes he contracted the infection while climbing the rocks at Grand Isle. He slipped and cut his knee and scraped his ankle on a patch of barnacles.</p><p>He said he originally thought he had sprained or fractured his ankle. But the scrape had actually allowed the vibrio bacteria to enter his body.</p><p>“Once it was in, that was it,” he said.</p><p>Garey said the next day his ankle began to bother him. It looked like “a sprain gone bad” and was beginning to turn purple. </p><p>Two days after cutting his ankle, Garey went to the emergency room at Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Galliano. </p><p>Hospital staff X-rayed his foot and prescribed pain killers and antibiotics to prevent his wounds from getting infected. They suggested he see a specialist when he returned home from his vacation.</p><p>Garey went back to the camp on Grand Isle, but his health continued to deteriorate throughout the day.</p><p>“By noon I wasn't feeling good. I thought it was something I ate,” he said. “But by that evening I was sweating like someone had turned a hose on me,” he said.</p><p>The family called 911, fearing Garey was having a heart attack. He was actually in septic shock from the bacterial infection, a condition that can cause organ failure and death, he said.</p><p>Garey remained conscious during the ambulance ride, but Lady of the Sea hospital staff couldn't detect a blood pressure or pulse when he arrived.</p><h3>'Within two heartbeats of dying'</h3>
<p>“When they finally got me stabilized, I was within two heartbeats of dying,” Garey said.</p><p>Paramedics gave him a shot to stabilize him and transported him to Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma where he was treated by Eschete. Eschete recognized the infection as vibrio vulnificus.</p><p>“His culture was not positive” because he'd been previously treated with antibiotics, Eschete said. “But it looked and acted very much like vibrio.”</p><p>Eschete said that vibrio is seen in hospitals across south Louisiana, so doctors are usually trained to spot the infection.</p><p>Vibrio is a rapidly developing infection and can happen over just 12 hours, Eschete said. The bacteria begins releasing toxins that make your blood pressure fall and eat away at tissue around the wound site, which is why vibrio is known as a flesh-eating bacteria. </p><p>Garey said doctors discussed amputating his foot, but the infection didn't get past the covering on top of the muscle tissue. </p><p>Surgeons were able to save his foot, something that Garey was especially thankful of because he runs Ascension Soccer Academy in Gonzales.</p><p>Garey's infection resulted in a two-week hospital stay, including three days in critical care, surgeries and multiple visits to a hyperbaric chamber to help heal his wounds. </p><p>But he was lucky. As many as 25 percent of people whose wounds become infected with vibrio die from it.</p><h3>Precaution urged</h3>
<p>Garey said he hopes those who read about his experience will take precautions. It could be as simple as checking their children for scrapes and wounds after returning from the beach, keeping hand sanitizer in your boat or using gloves to handle fish.</p><p>To prevent infections from vibrio vulnificus or other bacteria carried in natural waterways, be sure to wash wounds with copious amounts of soap and water, Eschete said. </p><p>And if you note redness, pain and swelling, don't wait. Go see your doctor or head to the emergency room or urgent care clinic, even if it's at night or on the weekend. </p><p>Symptoms to look out for include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever.</p><p>Garey said the key is to seek help when you know something's not right.</p><p>“The doctors said what probably saved my life was that I didn't play macho man,” he said. “They said, 'You knew something was wrong and you got to the hospital.' This bacteria has been on planet Earth for a million years. You can save your limb and your life.”</p><p>Staff Writer Nikki Buskey can be reached at 448-7636 or </p><p>nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.</p>